The world of electric and hybrid
vehicles is progressing and growing at a rapid pace. While most
people still think of hybrids and electric vehicles as low
performance machines, there are an increasing number of
high-performance electric vehicles being unveiled.

The first
high performance EV was the Tesla Roadster with good performance
thanks to the impressive torque of the electric motor. Audio has
unveiled its latest concept car at the International Motor Show in
Frankfurt called the Audi
e-tron which just so happens to look like an electrified Audi
R8.

The most impressive feature of the concept isn’t just
its all-electric power train, but its tremendous amount of torque.
Audi claims that the e-tron has a torque rating of 3,319.03
lb-ft. All that torque is generated by four individual electric
motors situated at each wheel allowing the vehicle to be all-wheel
drive.

The car has a total of 313 HP and promises to hit 60 mph in about 4.8 seconds. A more impressive number is that the
car can go from about 37 mph to 74 mph in only 4.1 seconds. The
all-electric range for the lithium-ion battery pack is 154 miles.

The EV is a large beast at 3,527 pounds
and it measures in at 74.5-inches wide x 167.72-inches long and
48.43-inches tall with a wheelbase of 102.36-inches. The massive
single battery pack alone weighs 1,036 pounds.

"We are
trying to find a concept that requires no compromises," says
Michael Dick, Member of the Board of Management of AUDI AG, Technical
Development. "Electromobility means more to us than just
electrifying conventional cars. Instead, we are dedicated to a
holistic approach to all aspects of the topic."

Since it does 0-60 in 4 secs that probably tells you how much it costs. $200k? So then *yawn*. Any company can make an expensive and fast EV. The trick is to make one that cost no more than ICE cars and gets similar performance and range.

"When an individual makes a copy of a song for himself, I suppose we can say he stole a song." -- Sony BMG attorney Jennifer Pariser